Descent of the Butterfly
by MrMissMrs Random
Summary: The Lords of Order and Chaos are not through with the world yet. What will happen when a city becomes their chessboard once more? And what do their pawns have awaiting them? Set ten years after Persona 4. OC-centric.
1. Chapter 1

**_"From the Great Above she set her mind on the Great Below."_**

-A translation from _Inanna's Descent to the Netherworld_

(~)

On the day Haruka left her hometown there was hardly a cloud in the sky. The air was fresh, with just a small chill to signal the beginnings of spring. This made her all the more melancholy as she stood on the concrete steps that led up to the station. She looked up and out; this would be all left behind.

Her parents had said their goodbyes the night before, so she was alone. The trains weren't that far from their house, and most of her things had already been sent. All that she had with her was a messenger bag that carried a few personal items and things she could use to pass the time. She was dressed in a navy blue blazer opened to a blue vest with silver buttons lined two in a row down her torso, and underneath that was a white button-down with a pin-stripe tie. Her skirt was the same color as her blazer and vest, and she wore gray stockings with brown patent-leather loafers that still had a shine only new school shoes could carry. This was her new school uniform. New, new, new and more new. The newness of the clothes on her felt stifling; more like a military uniform rather than a boarding school's…

_"The train for Okina Station will be arriving in ten minutes. If you are in the change-over for Kudarizaka Station please have your ticket ready when…"_

"Good bye, home." That was all she said as she tightened a turquoise ribbon: the only thing that was old and familiar on her. The ribbon held her dark hair back from her face while she walked up the remaining steps to enter the station.

She did not look back.

Haruka got to Okina and switched over to a bullet train without any hassle. There were not many people in her section of the train and the food service had already passed by, so she just sat and ate the simple boxed lunch that had been offered.

She did not know what else to do. She did not feel like reading, and the train was going too fast to really watch the scenery, so she leaned back in her seat, closed her eyes and exhaled.

"Might as well sleep for a bit…" she mumbled to herself, and soon enough she was in a deep slumber.

(~)

As Haruka opened her eyes, she felt a strange impression that she was somewhere else. She was still seated, and there was a familiar rumble under her feet that reassured she was still in a moving vehicle. As her eyes focused she took in the area, a comfortable room of sorts, with a sliding door on the right side and a window on the left, with the outside pitch black. The remainder of the room was tastefully done, something you would expect the cabin on a western-style upper class train car. The only thing that made it any different is that the whole room was colored in shades of dark blue. Blue wallpaper, blue rug, and the seat she was curling her fingers into a soft, plush periwinkle.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. It seems you have awakened."

Haruka tried to focus on where the voice came from and her eyes moved to the center. There were two people sitting across from her. One was a woman who wore a blue dress with shining blue buttons and gold buttons. She had platinum blond hair and golden eyes that looked at Haruka steadily.

The other person was a girl who looked to be around Haruka's age. Like the woman, she had gold eyes, but her hair was more silver and done into two braids with blue ribbon. Her outfit held a similar look to the woman: a blue vest clasped with two sets of blue and gold buttons, a blue skirt, and dark tights. The only difference was the woman wore blue high heels and the girl wore black boots.

"Awakened?" was all she could think to reply with, but "where am I?" or "who are you?" were probably better responses.

"I apologize for contacting you in such an abrupt manner, but this will be the best time to warn you of the events to come," the woman replied. "Some time after you reach your destination, you will be sent on a journey that could decide the ultimate fate of not only yourself, but other souls that you meet."

Haruka was growing more and more confused. She supposed her new school could be a journey of sorts, but that did not mean it should have any real effect on others. "I'm… sorry, but I'm afraid I don't understand."

A small smile crossed the woman's face. "Do not worry, you will learn in time if you choose to."

That made the girl even more confused. "You mean I have a choice to what is about to happen?"

The woman snapped her fingers. Haruka nearly jumped when a piece of paper and a fountain pen appeared on the oaken table that separated her from them.

"This document is a contract; those who arrive here in the Velvet Room must sign one, if they intend to come back."

Haruka moved forward in her seat to look down at the paper, reading the lines until it was too hard to make out, save for a line for her signature. The room was dimly lit, and light came from the window.

The woman continued. "By signing, you are simply taking responsibility of all your actions henceforth."

Haruka squeezed her hands against the upholstery, trying not to panic. This had to be a dream, and if it was- and _since _it was, whatever she answered should not matter.

"It does matter." A new voice made her look up. The girl sitting next to the woman had finally talked and she was looking directly at Haruka.

"Whether or not you sign is your choice, but you need to realize that every choice has consequences."

Haruka waited for the girl to continue, but she turned her gaze away and remained silent.

The woman sighed, looking at the girl with a frown before bowing her head apologetically to Haruka.

Haruka looked back down at the contract, lifted the pen, and wrote down the kanji of her name before she gently set the pen back down. The paper floated up and disappeared in a shimmer of light.

"It is an honor to have you as our guest here in the Velvet Room, Haruka Endo."

The girl swallowed, before voicing her response. "I will take responsibility… but I would like to know what I'm taking responsibility for. And what…"

Haruka felt her vision start to get hazy. She raised her hand to her forehead and cringed.

"Our time for now is at an end. Do not worry, we will meet again soon," The woman replied, her voice steady. "Until then, I bid you farewell."

The last thing Haruka saw as she fell back into consciousness was a pair of gold eyes.

(~)

_"Attention passengers: we have arrived at Kudarizaka Station. Please make sure to take all your belongings with you as you depart from the train. Thank you for riding…"_

Haruka groaned and rubbed her eyes as she sat up. What a strange dream…

She looked around, thankful to be back on a train that was not entirely blue for a color scheme. The girl stretched a little before she got up to grab her bag from the storage space and moved to exit the train. Haruka's first impression of the station could be described in a single word: loud.

Kudarizaka Station was much louder than her home station; hell, it was louder than Okina City! It had trains coming and going along the tunnel systems and shops filled with people in street and business attire going to and fro around her. Everything was so _loud_.

"How am I going to find them in a place like this?" Haruka whispered to herself, but took a deep breath and moved through the station and ignored the strange looks people gave her as she passed by. It was probably strange to see someone in a school uniform on a Sunday, but her directions were to be wearing it when she met her ride to the dorms, and when she thought about it was probably smart since they would find her quickly.

In directions she was sent via email, Haruka was instructed to stand beside the samurai statue outside of the station, which she pinpointed with relative ease. There was a tall man there who also seemed to be waiting for someone. He was passing the time by flicking a lighter on and off. Haruka decided it was probably best to leave him alone, so stood on the other side of the statue. She took out her cellphone to check the time. The school told her they would be meeting here, but she had not seen anyone stop to speak with her yet…

"Hey, you. Over there," a deep voice called out.

Haruka turned to find the tall man facing her directly. He was not bending his head anymore, which was covered in thick brown hair that was starting to show gray, and he looked even taller for it. He had brown eyes and strong features, but no facial hair to speak of.

"Are you talking to me?" Haruka's eyes blinked back at the stranger.

The man moved his head to look around, as if making a second check to see if they were the only ones standing at the statue before turning back. "Who else would I be talking to?"

"The statue?" was the girl's response, and the man frowned in confusion.

"The-? Never mind that; by your clothes I'm guessing you're the new transfer student?"

Haruka's eyes widened. Was the man one of her instructors? He… did not look like a teacher. He was wearing a leather jacket and jeans- not the sort a professional she supposed would where. Even if it was a day off.

Haruka panicked a little and gave a small bow. "Yes, I am the transfer student. Forgive me, Sensei."

When she looked up she noticed that the man had crossed his arms and was averting his eyes. "It's nice to see kids being polite these days, but you do not have to be so formal. I'm not... one of your teachers, I don't even work for the school."

The man sighed before he looked up. "Seems we got off on the wrong foot- my name is Tatsuya Suou; I'm a detective in the city police department. The reason I'm picking you up is a favor for an acquaintance of mine."

"Oh," Haruka blinked, before a small smile spread across her face. It was silly how she reacted so formally, maybe the nerves and that dream were getting to her. "It's nice to meet you, Suou-san. I'm Haruka Endo."

She held out her hand for the man to shake, while he stared blankly at her. "Shouldn't you ask for my identification before going into introductions? You're in a new city; what if I'm a pervert or something?"

Haruka thought about this. "Well, you don't seem like a pervert, but if it makes you feel better… may I please see your identification?"

The man continued to grumble as he took his wallet out. He showed Haruka an police identification card with his name and picture in plain sight.

"Does that mean you also have hand cuffs?" she asked. "If so, may I see them to make sure you are a police officer as you say?"

"Don't push it." Suou responded, irritated. "And I'm off duty."

"I see." Haruka replied as she lightly banged her bag against her legs. There was a lull in their conversation. The girl took the time to see more of her surroundings. The sky was off-white, with a breeze that had the salty smell of the sea. It was an entirely different smell from her home, but as Haruka breathed in and out she did not find the scent unpleasant.

She gave a firm nod to herself, as if giving a pep-talk in her mind. She would do her best to make the most out of this new place. No matter how tough it would get, she would not run away on the next train back home.

The man turned. There was nothing left to say. "We should get going."

"Right," she replied with more confidence as she jogged after Suou. Along the curb among the bike racks and small motor bikes was police car that looked rather out of place.

"…Suou-san."

"Yes?" the man replied, as he walked up to the vehicle.

"Didn't you say you were off duty?"

"I did, but I don't have another car. I own a motorcycle, but I can't let a minor on that without the right equipment." The man opened the door for her. "Slide in."

Haruka took a small moment to stare at the open door, before heaving a small sigh as she did what was asked of her.

Maybe she had spoken too soon about not running away.

**(~)**

The ride to the dorms was quiet, but Haruka did not find it odd for it to be. From what she had gleaned from Suou's personality so far, he was not a fan of small talk. It also gave her time to look at the various places they passed on their way. The detective pointed out landmarks sometimes, and gave a small description of the place and what to find there. Shizuoka was a smaller city than she first thought. It did not have the sprawling metropolis she thought you were likely to find in Tokyo, but it was still far bigger than her home town.

Suou even made a small drive along the coastal street where the ship port and harbor were so she could get a glimpse of the sea. The dorms weren't by this street, and when it took an additional ten minutes to reach their destination Haruka realized that Suou was showing her the scenic route out of the kindness of his heart. Suou was not as gruff as he first appeared.

When they pulled up to the curb, the detective pointed to the western style building in front of them. It was on the corner of the street, around four floors tall with a flat roof.

"Here is where you'll be saying. There should be another student waiting inside to show you around," he said. Haruka nodded and opened the door before she stepped out of the car with her carryon.

She turned back to close the door and gave the detective another small smile. "Thank you for the ride, Suou-san."

Suou blinked a bit in surprise. It made Haruka think of how you would probably look if you realized you walked out the door with two different shoes on.

It only took another moment for him to come back to his senses, though. "Stay out of trouble."

Haruka watched from the sidewalk as the police car pulled away. She looked up at the dormitory one last time before taking on more deep breath and making her way to the door. She took out a card key she had been sent in the mail and slid it into a slot before the door unlocked with a small click-clack.

She eased the door open and peered inside. "Hello?"

No answer.

Haruka walked in, closed the door behind her, and entered the common room. It was nicely yet simply furnished: there were couches, armchairs, and a television set. She walked to the center and looked around and held her bag behind her back as she turned. It was late afternoon by this point, and there were shadows cast across every surface, as the lights had not been turned on yet.

Where was everyone? It was a day off; shouldn't there have been at least a few people walking around the common room?

All of that changed when she heard the pounding of footsteps and looked up to the stairway. A girl with blonde hair was running down, her hair in a slight disarray as she looked down at Haruka, before sighing.

Haruka heard a voice mumble "I forgot again…" before the blonde girl continued down the steps. She was wearing a blue plaid skirt and soft yellow v-neck sweater that was almost the same color as her hair with a blue button down shirt underneath, the sleeves rolled up. Muscular looking legs were dressed in navy blue knee socks, and she wore no shoes. In one of her hands she grasped a post-it note.

"Y-you're Haruka Endo, right?" the unknown girl asked as she caught her breath, and Haruka was shocked at how deep her voice sounded for a girl, before she began to laugh. "Oh, scratch that, of course you are. You wouldn't be able to get in if you didn't have a card key."

"Yes, are you alright?" Haruka asked.

The unknown girl waved her hand. "Oh, I'm fine! It's my own fault for not being here on time. Even wrote down a note to remind me you were coming today…"

Haruka figured that was probably what was written on the post-it. "Well at least you remembered in the end."

"Haha, I suppose you're right." The girl held out her hand for Haruka to shake. "I'm Hajime Reika, third year."

"It's nice to meet you, Reika-senpai. Um, I didn't know 'Hajime' could be a girl's-"

That's when Haruka realized how big the older "girl's" hand was: it clasped around her own easily, and let her feel the calluses along the palm. She moved her head higher to focus on her senpai from above the shoulder. Her schoolmate had vibrant green eyes that matched in the unexpectedness along with the blonde hair on Japanese features, light gloss along the lips, and a defined Adam's apple peeked out from the undone button on a shirt.

"Oh, I'm a guy by the way." Hajime Reika gave her a beautiful smile and squeezed her hand gently.

"Welcome to your new home, Haruka-chan!"

(~)

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**Hello there! Since Persona 5 will be released winter 2014, I thought now was a good a time as any to begin a Persona story. Chronologically speaking, this story takes place around ten years after the events of Persona 4 Arena. You may recognize a familiar name if you have played the older Persona games, but so far no one from SEES or the Investigation Team will be in this story. Save for certain members of the Velvet Room, this story will be filled with original characters!**

**I hope you enjoyed this first chapter and will continue to read to see what happens next!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series. **

**Thanks goes to my beta InfinityPhoenix for his help. **


	2. Chapter 2

Once again, Haruka felt lost. She had arrived in a city she hardly knew anything about, save for the information on a measly welcome pamphlet that was sent with her acceptance letter, and would live in a nearly deserted dormitory where the welcome party consisted of a single male cross-dresser.

"I want to go home," she mumbled.

"Hm, say something there, Haruka-chan?"

"No, just… talking to myself," the girl replied, her dark eyebrows furrowing. Hajime Reika, the cross-dresser, was showing her to her room.

"Then that means you're saying something," he said as he turned to give her another smile. "But that's fine; you've had a long day traveling, haven't you, Haruka-chan?"

"Mm." she hummed back, giving a shrug of her shoulders. Upon closer inspection, Haruka noticed that his face wasn't quite like a girl's. His jaw line was too pronounced, and his nose was too long. Yet instead of detracting beauty from the face, it seemed to enhance it, but she did not understand how. Reika felt like an otherworldly emissary who had come to guide her: a strange wizard (or would it be better to say fairy godmother?) to come whisk her into adventure. He was so _different_ from the kind of people she was used to interacting with.

"Don't worry about it, though. All your things were moved into your room so you can rest up for tomorrow."

"Senpai, about the room… the school said they had a single open for me."

"That's right. Are you afraid the rooms as well as the dorm are co-ed?"

Haruka's cheeks heated at the upperclassman's tease. "…No."

He laughed, and Haruka felt more shame. It was so obvious how far out of her comfort zone she was.

"Don't worry, the girls and boys rooms are on separate floors; the girls live on the upper floor," Reika responded, as he waited for her at the landing while resting his hands on his hips. "There's only a few of us living here right now since a lot of the previous tenants were third years. You're lucky; you even got a window facing away from the street noise and everything."

"That's… great," was all she could think to say in response, and the cross-dressing boy's smile wilted. Haruka felt a wave of guilt, but what was did expect her to do? Jump for joy?

"R-really, it is. I… didn't have that in my old room."

With that offering, Reika perked right up like a flower after it's been given a spritz of water. "That's great! Well, it's great that your room has something you didn't have before. Also has an in-room bathroom and shower western-style, but if you want to take a bath there's a public one a few blocks down and they give discounts to students."

Now having a bathroom all to herself, that was a nice perk. She had been worried about waiting in lines or running out of hot water, but judging from what she had seen so far, the building was very spacious.

"That sounds even better."

Reika's smile grew with a knowing look. "Thought you would like that feature, and…"

The third year stepped to the side as they reached a door near the end of the hall. "Here we are."

Haruka moved forward, but was a little confused. "…I'm sorry, but how do I open it?"

"Hm- oh, _oh!_" The blonde jumped, and patted his skirt folds until he discovered a brass key and dropped it into the girl's open hand.

"This place has actually been remodeled, but they decided to keep the old fashion keys. Charming, huh?"

"It's cute…" Haruka couldn't help but mumble as she looked at the key. It was much smaller than the keys she was used to seeing, and had an old fashioned handle shaped like a circle. It was obvious that the key was many years old, but someone had taken the time to buff any particles of age away to let it shine in the dimming light of the hallway.

"Hello? Haruka-chan?"

She jumped. "I-I mean, it's nice that they decided to keep a few touches of how this place used to look. It gives it more character."

"Uh-huh, I agree," the senior student nodded. "Anyway, I'll leave you to get settled. You can meet the others when we have dinner in about two hours. I made sure that everyone would be there on time, so please make sure you're there."

Oh, she had forgotten. There were more people that were going to be living here. Haruka wondered if they would be an eclectic bunch, if Reika's… tastes were anything to go by.

"I'll see you at dinner then, Reika-senpai," the girl replied. Haruka gave a small nod of her head before she unlocked her door. She felt self-conscious as her senpai was still standing behind her as she opened her doors.

"… Goodbye then."

Reika seemed to realize what Haruka was getting at.

"Goodbye!" he waved as he walked back down the hallway. Haruka watched him go with a small roll of her eyes before she entered and flipped on the light switch as she closed the door.

The dorm room came with all the necessary amenities. A bed was lined against the farthest wall with sheets folded on top for her to make it. Closer to the door was a chest of drawers where the majority of her luggage was leaning against and set on, and by the window was a desk with ample space to do homework and a small printer already set up beside it on the floor.

Haruka set her carryon bag on the desk, and saw a small closet on the other side of the room where she could hang her coats and uniform. There was also another door that she guessed led to the promised bathroom. Before she got washed up for dinner, she walked over to the window and drew the thick curtains to take a look outside. As her upperclassman had promised, what she saw was not the street she had entered on; instead, it showed a garden below that featured a few trees and a pond. When she looked out, Haruka could make out the setting sun along the rooftops of the city. It was lovely, she had to admit. She was expecting a city to feel more crowded and closed, but the view only made the place feel more open.

"Welcome to Shizuoka, Haruka," the girl told herself and sighed, before she pulled the curtain back to get to work on unpacking.

(~)

As the sun fully descended and the moon rose, Haruka had finished with the bulk of her packing. She had set her clothes away and changed into a more comfortable long-sleeve blue shirt and jeans. The girl made a quick stop to the bathroom to retie the ribbon holding back her hair, and her dark brown eyes searched for any cowlicks before she took another breath. She shouldn't be so nervous; it was only dinner, for crying out loud! Classes weren't until tomorrow, and that was what she should've been worried about. Haruka figured that since the dorms were so nice, the academics were going to be even more rigorous than back at her old school.

Once she took one last look in the mirror and pinched her cheeks to get some color back into them after her worrying, Haruka exited her room and began to head downstairs. The hallways were now lit for nighttime, but as she walked down the staircase, she found it odd that there was no one else traveling downstairs either. Did she get the time wrong?

_"KYAAHHHHHHH!" _

A scream pierced Haruka's eardrums, and shook her up. Was someone hurt?! She rushed down the remaining steps and headed towards the kitchen. She walked in… only to find a young woman furiously waving her hand back and forth. Her features expressed discomfort and pain. "Hot, hot, hot, HOT!"

Haruka noticed a bubbling pot on the stove; its contents appeared to be almost overflowing. She put two and two together and walked over to turn the sink on cold. The newcomer took the woman's bright red hand and put it under the stream of water. As soon as that was done, Haruka moved and turned off the heat on the roaring pot.

"Ahhhh, that feels nice…" the woman said, the panic in her dark eyes easing away with a slightly dopey smile on her face.

Now that she had stopped panicking, Haruka was able to see the woman more clearly. She had a heart shaped face framed by a layered bob of brown hair that was dotted with a few yellow clips, and had a tall, athletic build. She was wearing an apron with some cartoon character on the front.

"Are you alright?" Haruka asked.

"Much better, thanks for the save!"

Haruka took a hesitant glance at the pot. Though it had been turned off, the contents within still looked like they were bubbling… or were the contents themselves moving? "What's… _that_ supposed to be?"

The woman turned, gave a slight cry, and picked up a ladle to furiously mix the concoction, but gave up the heroic effort with a groan. "It's supposed to be curry… dammit! I thought I added the ingredients in the right order!"

Haruka thought she saw tears coming to the woman's eyes, and wondered whether her failure or the aroma of the botched curry itself was the cause.

"H-hey, don't worry. You'll get it the next time."

"Y-you're right! Haha, silly me! Can't let one bad batch of curry ruin my night; the ingredients were probably crap anyway!" Haruka blinked at the rapid change of emotion the woman went through.

But the thing in the pot… was that meant to be dinner? Haruka wondered if she had any leftovers from the lunch on the train.

"Sorry for catching me like this, the name's Hisataka Yadosu. But you can call me Taka-san for short."

"Taka-san…" Haruka mumbled to herself, with the hopes that she would remember it. She supposed people preferred to be called by their nicknames. "I'm Haruka Endo; I just arrived this afternoon. It's a pleasure to meet another person in the dorms."

"The pleasure is all mine, Endo! And I, well, I don't live in the dorms," Yadosu corrected. "Well, not anymore at least. I graduated last year. But since you all are going to be so busy with school, I come in to help with some cleaning and cooking in my spare time out of the kindness of my heart…"

"And because you didn't get accepted into the college of your choice, right Taka-senpai?"

Haruka looked to find a smiling boy leaning against the door frame. He had messy brown hair and sleepy hazel eyes, which made him look like he just finished a nap.

Yadosu pouted and crossed her arms. "Oh, hush, Nobo-kun. You don't know anything. Besides, if I had gone away, you would've run after me, begging me to come back."

"Yeah, yeah, you and your horrible curry," this "Nobo-kun" replied with the smile still on his face, giving a wave to Haruka as he pushed himself up. He was taller than the woman, but only by a few centimeters.

"I'm Noboru Oshiro, second-year. Hope we get along, Endo."

Haruka smiled. She had finally found someone her age, someone she might share classes with. "Hope we get along as well, Oshiro. I… I'm honestly a little afraid with how rigorous the curriculum might be."

"Haha, I'm sure you'll do fine," Oshiro responded easily.

"Don't let Nobo-kun's air fool you," Yadosu called behind her back as she carefully dumped the evidence of her curry failure down the garbage disposal. "He's a real slacker: always falling asleep in class!"

The brown-haired boy frowned and looked away. "Stop calling me a slacker, senpai. No matter how early I get to bed, it just… happens, okay? I don't do it on purpose."

"Yeah, yeah," Yadosu echoed Oshiro's words while she turned off the water in the sink as the last remnants of ruined curry were rinsed away. The woman let out another sigh. "I _really _had a good feeling about this one."

"Don't worry about it," Haruka offered again; she felt uncomfortable with how both of them were looking rather depressed. "Why don't… we order something to eat for tonight? Does that sound good?"

"Oh, nice idea Endo-chan!" the woman replied as she pulled out a cell-phone bedazzled with fake jewels. "I'll call Nirvana Noodles. Nobo-kun, can you find Hajime, Suro-kun, and Aka-chan?"

Oshiro gave a noncommittal shrug. "…Will you get me the tsukimi soba?"

"Of course I will."

"Hajime-senpai, we're ordering NN for dinner!" the boy called out as he exited.

The woman giggled before she focused back on Haruka. "What about you? The specialty is soba, but they probably have some udon in stock if you really want it-"

"Tororo soba, please."

Yadosu blinked in surprise. "Huh? I'm surprised you know about it. It's kind of a specialty here."

Haruka looked to the side. There had been a few advertisements in the brochure of local delicacies. "I don't think it would be best to eat any heavy meat before tomorrow…"

"Oh, yeah, I see where you're coming from," the woman chuckled. "You shouldn't worry about grades on the first day. You'll probably be helping Nobo-kun more than he'll be helping you."

"Do you still have your final semester grades to show Endo, senpai?" Oshiro's voice called back.

Taka-san gave a bright smile that gave Haruka a shiver. "You want chili powder in your soba right, Nobo-kun? Well, if you insist!"

After taking down the orders and another teasing row between Yadosu and Oshiro, together they had gotten what everyone wanted. A cheerful delivery man was at the door with their orders half an hour later. "Thank you for choosing Nirvana Noodles as your go-to eatery!"

"Thank you," Haruka replied back as she paid with the money given to her by Yadosu as she went to the door.

The man accepted the money graciously after he set the bags with the containers of their orders down. With delivery, unless specified, they had all the ingredients contained and prep completed, and all that was needed afterwards would be to add the broth you desired, a container of which was placed inside as well.

"We also accept part time workers if you're ever interested. The pay may not be the best, but every little bit helps when you're a student, am I right?"

Haruka was a bit confused at how the man advertised while out on the job himself. Did she look like she needed a job, or were they actually desperate for workers? "I'll… I'll keep it in mind."

"Wonderful! Good night, and may your noodles let you ascend the heavens!"

Haruka nodded, and closed the door as Reika walked into the hallways to help with the bags. He looked a bit embarrassed, and moved forward to the bags before she had a chance to.

"I'm really sorry about Taka-senpai and the food," he told Haruka as his manicured hands easily lifted the bags. The senior seemed to be strong as well as pretty.

"I could've lifted those," Haruka got out weakly.

Reika smiled happily. "I'm sure of it, but as your senpai I consider it my duty to help you in any way I can."

"Then why didn't you help me that one time when I asked about the exams, senpai?" Oshiro asked as he pulled out drinks from the fridge.

"That's cheating, not helping," he replied simply.

"It is not! I didn't ask you to give me the answers…" Oshiro protested. "Are you in a bad mood because Sekihara isn't here?"

"I'm not in a bad mood," Reika retorted. "But it feels like Haruka-chan is the only one working here, and we're supposed to be welcoming her. It's rude."

Oshiro looked down, and quickly went glum again. "Sorry…"

"Who's Sekihara?" Haruka asked. She decided it would be best to change the subject again.

"He's another guy who lives in the dorms: a second year like you and me. Don't know much about him, but his family is supposed to be rich," Oshiro answered. "Relatives probably had a big fancy dinner or benefit."

"He still should have warned me about it in advance," the older boy sighed, tugging at the sleeves of his blouse. "Or, maybe he did and I forgot about it…?"

"And that's why you have sticky-notes, senpai," Oshiro concluded with a sagely nod of his head, before he turned back to Haruka. "You'll see him tomorrow, can't miss the first day of term, right?"

They settled the meals, and as the hot broth was poured into the containers, Haruka took a deep inhale of the steam that wafted off her tororo soba. Her stomach gave a faint grumble at smelling the delicious scent. She wondered if she could sneak a sip before the group sat down for dinner. It looked really good…

Haruka grabbed some throwaway chopsticks that were included in the package. She made her move to dip the utensils in and gather one delectable bit of yam, she opened her mouth to accept the piece and pop it in-

"What are you doing?"

Haruka dropped the chopsticks, and inwardly cried as she saw her bit of yam fall, fall, fall, and hit the ground with a small splat.

"M-my yam," she mumbled sadly, going to her knees to pick up the mess and focus more on her food then the stranger that had just entered. It was a girl; her dark red eyes looked at Haruka with distrust, and her lips formed a tight frown. She was shorter than Haruka and her light brown hair was chopped short with long side bangs that framed against her cheekbones and seemed to accentuate the delicacy of her features.

"I-I was… going to eat some of my yam?" Haruka offered weakly. Was it that bad here to sneak a taste before dinner?

The girl looked unimpressed with her answered, even though it was obvious. "More, I should be asking who you are and what are you doing in my kitchen?"

Haruka was surprised at how firm this girl was being; she almost looked like she would be ready to call the authorities on her, as if Haruka was a thief of some sort. She had to set things straight. "My name is Haruka Endo. I just moved in to this dorm this afternoon, so that's… possibly why you've never seen me before."

"…" The unknown girl's body language slackened. "Oh, my… apologies."

Haruka was thankful the situation had been diffused so easily. She tossed the dirty chopsticks and yam piece into the trash before she could embarrass herself more over her sadness of losing the delectable piece. "Uh, don't worry about it. Could you tell me what your name is though for future reference?"

The girl shifted in her stance, averting her eyes. "Akane Okamura. Second year."

"So am I," Haruka replied as she tried her best to smile. Another girl who lived in the dorms! She was worried so far that she had been placed into the wrong housing with Oshiro and Reika around. "Please take good care of me, Okamura-san."

Okamura would not meet her eyes again. Haruka figured that she was still embarrassed from thinking she was a burglar. "Right."

They stood there for a few moments, and Haruka saw similarities between this pause with the one with Officer Suou earlier that day. Neither she nor Okamura really knew what to say next.

"Hey, the table's set! We ready to eat?" Yadosu's energetic voice broke the silence.

"Uh, yes!" Haruka called back. Okamura moved to the side so others could come and collect their bowls. The girl took her own bowl and another up. "You ordered the kitsune soba, right?"

Okamura's eyes went back to level with hers. "… Yes. But how did you know?"

Haruka placed the bowl into the other girl's hands. "Lucky guess, I suppose."

"I suppose so."

A small upturn of Okamura's lips mirrored Haruka's own.

**(~)**

"Phew…" Haruka sighed as she landed on her bed. Her stomach was still full from the noodles, and even without any meat it made her sleepy. Despite the hectic atmosphere, dinner had been enjoyable. Everyone that she met so far was kind.

She grabbed her cellphone off the nightstand, tapped the screen to awaken the device, and brought it against her ear.

_"No unheard messages," _a mechanical voice replied from the speakers.

She did not know what she was expecting, honestly. Her parents never called her to make sure she was home before, what difference would it make now that she was in a dorm hours away? They understood if anything serious happened, they would be notified.

"Probably busy with work still," she mumbled, when her phone buzzed in her hand. There was one new text message, with a familiar name on top as the sender.

Haruka felt lighter as she tapped the screen to open the message.

_Hey there, Haruka! Did you make it there safe? I know I said that I would wait a few days until you settled in, but I just wanted to make sure. :)_

Haruka smiled. It was a quick one, but it helped a lot. She typed her response.

_Yup, I made it here alright. Had a weird dream on the train ride though, must have been the nerves. It felt so weird having to wear my uniform when it wasn't a school day! I felt so many people staring at me when I got off the train. Ugh. When I got here was interesting- the man who picked me up was a police officer, can you believe it? He isn't much like your dad, but it made me feel a little better, and he seemed kind. Everyone in the dorm I've met so far is quite lively, but I have my own room which helps. _

Haruka sent her response after giving a small cringe at how long it was. The girl wondered if she had said too much when a reply was given with comforting words and cheers. It made her smile.

She sent a few more texts back and forth before saying good night. The girl set her alarm, charged her phone, and took a moment to stare at her uniform than hung on a peg hooked to the door. Tomorrow she would officially be a student at Naito High.

Haruka plumped up her pillow and turned off the light before settling down to sleep. "It'll be okay. It's just school, all schools are fundamentally the same…"

With those self-reassurances, she was soon fast asleep.

**(~)**

Haruka felt an odd disconnect as she opened her eyes to see once more that she was not in the place she had fallen asleep. But this time there was no blue room on a train, in fact there was not much at all. She was floating in a sea of darkness, with no point of reference that showed where she could be. The only thing that Haruka could feel was a sword in her hands and how her floating was quickly turning into a pull, like she was trapped in an undertow.

She began to kick against it and move back up, but a force yanked her back.

_"So you are trying to escape, is that it?"_

The voice reverberated across the empty space, and it gave the girl a sense of dread as she tried to kick more.

_"But that would be against your contract, correct? Can't have that…"_

"Agh!" Haruka cried out as something slippery slithered against her leg.

_"But maybe… this is really what you want? The abyss is quite soothing to some, and those that wish for its embrace grow day by day. Why not simply give in?"_

The thing wrapped around her leg tightly, and Haruka shuddered as suction cups on the appendage stuck to her skin. A tentacle, but whatever is was attached to was readying for a final pull.

Haruka raised the sword and moved it in a wide arc that connected with the tentacle. A high pitched scream that nearly blew her eardrums permeated the darkness, but she kept whacking the sword while a squelching noise joined the screaming and sent it skittering back into the depths below.

"I-if you try that again you'll get more than one bleeding tentacle!" Haruka screamed down, scared but now more in control of herself. The grip tightened on her weapon to ready for another onslaught, but it never came. Another sound came as the screams died down, like many voices, all of different tones and ages… laughing?

_"Hehehe. It's been so long since someone put up a real fight here... very well. So you choose to fight? Then be prepared for the consequences."_

"What do you mean by that, what consequences?!" Haruka yelled angrily, but the laughter was dying off and she was being buoyed back up. "Tell me! Tell me what's going to happen!"

_"Oh, but that wouldn't be very fair, now would it? Farewell for now."_

"Wait!"

But the laughter was becoming little more than a whisper, and a bright light was growing larger behind her as she was pulled away from the abyss, towards the surface.

**(~)**

** April 12, 2021**

Haruka opened her eyes to the early morning sunlight coming in from her window and the irritating beep of her alarm.

"Damn dreams…" she groaned and used her pillow to cover her head as she buried herself further into the cocoon of her blankets.

She did not feel ready for the first day of school.

**Attributes:**

**Cognition: Narrow**

**Diligence: Wavering **

**Charisma: Awkward**

**Intuition: Fair- Up 3. **

**(~)**

**Thank you for reading this chapter and hope to get the next one out when I'm able to! Special thanks as always for the help of my beta InfinityPhoenix. Hope to get out the next chapter as soon as I'm able! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series. **


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